Safety fuse for electrical flatirons



Amd

1LT. A D E FOR ELECTRICAL FLA'IIRONS SAFETY FUS Patented Sept. 15, 19425.

PATENT OFFICE.

HAROLD ('J.v ADAMS, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

SAFETY FUSE FOR ELECTRICAL FLATIRONS.

Application led February 19, 1923. Serial N'o. 619,842.

To all whom t may conce/m.'

Be it known; that I, HAROLD C. ADAMS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented `certain new and useful Improvements ,in Safety Fuses for Electrical Flatirons; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. f

My invention provides a thermally disruptable fuse for electrically heated flatirons and the like, by the use of which the current will be automatically cut off from the iron when the iron is heated beyond a predetermined maximum temperaure. Generally stated, the invention consists of the novel construction and arrangement of parts -hereinafter described and defined in the claims: I

rlhi's invention may be appropriately designated as a safety fuse, which will not be disrupted by any current that the heating element of the iron will require forheating purposes, but which will be disrupted to break the current, regardless of the current How, providing that the iron is overheated or heated to a predetermined point beyond the maximum required temperature of an -iron for proper use. This prevents an iron V from being damaged by too high temperature or tire from being started by accidental overheating of the iron, which is very likely p to occur and many times has occurred when the current has been turned onto an iron and the iron then left or forgotten.

the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention in what is believed to be its preferred. form, like characters inn dicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

'l is a perspective showin my inventien applied te an ordinary e ectrieal Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the rear on ef the fiatiron and showing the reig sechste-f the safety device in verti a. action;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the et safety device;

and manner in which the safety device is connected in series with the heating element of the iron.

.The numeral 9 indicates an ordinary electrical flatiron having the customary heating element 10, handle 11, and lead wire socket 12. The numeral 13 indicates the customary terminal contact head of the supply circuit 14, which latter is shown within the usual cable 15. In Fig. 8, a source of electrical energy of the circuit to the heating element is indicated by the numeral 16 and is there shown as a battery, whereas, in practice, it would be a commercial electric circuit.

As a means for applying the safety device Ito the iron, a metal socket or casing 17, preferably of brass and of rectangular form, is directly applied to the rear end portion of the iron 9. This socket 17 is open at its top and has outturned ears 18 that adapt it to be directly secured to the rear end of the base of the iron by screws 19. Between the ears 18, the socket 17 has a large opening 20 that o ens directly against' the adjacent rear end o the iron.

The head 21 of the safety device is also preferably rectangular and of metal filled with an insulating material 22 that holds and spaces apart twc airs 23 and 2d of -spring clamp acting lea terminals.

The cartridge er fusible element of the safety device, as preferably designed, com prises a glass tube 25, ont/o the ends of which are telescoped metallic caps 26, preferably of copper. The fusible element of this cartridge is inthe form of a Wire or small rod 27 of a metal having the proper relative temperature fusibility, to wit: a fusing temperature much lower than that of any of the other metallic parte. This fusible element 27 is passed axially through the heads of the caps 26 and is rigiy and electrically connected thereto hy mieli solder masses 28. lBy this arrangement, the two metallic caps 26 form contacts that are insulated from each ether except thrcngh the fusible element 2?. When the cartridge is in working pcsiticn, as shawn '3, the metallic lOO caps 27 are pressed down into frictional contact with the lead terminals 23 and 24 and will be securely but displaceably held thereby. Here it will be noted, attention being directed particularly to Fig. 8, that the two leads of the supply circuitflll are connected, one to the pair of contacts 23 and the other to the pair of contacts 24, so that the fusible element 27 is connectedin series with the heating element 10.

Vith the above arrangement,` as is obvious, the current will freely flow to the heating element 10 at any and all times except when the fusible element 27 is disrupted or broken, and it is also evident that whenever the temperature of the iron, acting by radiation and conduction, fuses the element 27 the circuit to the heating element 10 will be broken and the current will be automatically cut olf, thereby positively preventing the iron from being overheated or heated to the predetermined danger point.

By placing the fusible safety device at the lower rear portion of the iron, it is arranged where it will not interfere with the use of the iron and where it will be subjected to the maximum temperature of the iron.

This safety device may be applied to new irons and also may be readily applied to electric irons now in general use, at Very small cost. The construction illustrated in the drawings is particularly designed for application to irons already in use.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with an electrically heated metallic body and supply circuit, of a slip socket applied to said body, and a frictionally held detachable coupling head slidably inserted into the slip socket and carrying a detachable fusible element that is electrically connected to said supply circuit in series with the heating element of said body.

2. The combination with an electrically heated metallic body and supply circuit, of a slip socket applied to said body, and a frictionally held detachable coupling head slidably inserted into the slip socket and closing the same, said head carrying on its inner end a detachable fusible element that is electrically connected to said supply circuit in series with the heating element of said body, said socket having an opening at its application to said body and below said head to expose the fusible element to the heat from the body,

3. The combination 'with an electrically heated metallic body and supply circuit, said body having a coupling socket and said circuit having a co-operating detachable coupling head, of a slip socket applied to said body, and a frictionally held detachable coupling head slidably inserted into the slip socket and closing the same, said head carrying on its inner end a detachable fusible element that is electrically connected to said supply circuit in series with the heating element of said body, said socket having an opening at its application to said body and below said head to expose the fusible elevment to the heat from the body.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature.

HAROLD o. ADAMS. 

